we're fireworks with a wet fuse
by devon380black
Summary: "You're not supposed to be here!", someone yells over the noisy wind. It's bright and the air keeps whipping up her hair but Bonnie turns around to face whomever is shouting at her. [Title is from Find You by Zedd] [post 5.22]


"You're not supposed to be here!", someone yells over the noisy wind. It's bright and the air keeps whipping up her hair but Bonnie turns around to face whomever is shouting at her.

She can practically feel Damon's sneer at the unwanted presence but she keeps her face impassive as though unaffected. She tilts her head, a silent defiant gesture.

"I thought I told little Donovan not to let the Veil to the Other Side collapse?", he shakes his head then with hands on his hips.

"What do you care, Kol?"

He stills.

"You're probably the first one who wants out of this place..."

The ground shakes and Bonnie would have tumbled to the ground if not for Damon's hands. Bonnie nods her thanks. Their silent communication is a familiar thing. Familiar and comforting. They are ready to face whatever is coming, ready to face anything for the ones they have to protect.

"Alright, stop with the staring, I'm getting disgusted", Kol sarcastically interrupts.

"Why don't you just... SHUT UP!", Damon yells the last part in response.

"I won't. And would you please have it in you to turn around and face me while I'm speaking to you?"

Damon and Bonnie look at each other. Damon shrugs his shoulders while Bonnie rolls her eyes.

"Come on, time's a-wasting. Tick-tock, tick-tock..."

They both turn around and look at Kol.

"Alright, now that I have your attention...", he says while rubbing his hands in front of him, ever the picture of a mastermind.

"Bonnie, kindly tell me the spell you used."

"Um, hello? Newsflash: we don't have any witches with us presently. Bonnie doesn't count because she's the anchor. Any more suggestions? No? Then go away.", Damon smiles like he got one up on Kol and makes shoo-ing motions with his hands.

"If this wasn't a death and further-death situation, I'd be happy to continue bickering. But as it is, time is of the essence, and I need to know the spell so would you please get back on track and tell me so I can get you out of here and keep the Other Side from collapsing! Please and thank you.", Kol sighs dramatically.

Bonnie looks at Damon, her right eyebrow quirking, silently asking if they should trust him. Damon looks at her, scrunching his nose, then shrugs. _Well, it's worth a shot._

They turn back to Kol and tell him the necessary words and find the items for the spell. The Other Side is breaking down and they're being helped by their enemy.

_All in a day's work, right?_

There is a particularly bright flash of light and the wind is getting stronger. Bonnie turns to look at the sky and she sees the beginnings of the 'darkness' that sucks the dead into nothingness.

Damon turns her around and back to the little circle that Kol is kneeling in. He holds her hand in his, fingers clasped and nods, telling her it's going to work. She knows he's hoping it and hearing him say it breaks a smile on her face.

Kol is chanting now. His words getting louder and he opens his eyes and looks at Bonnie. He nods and Bonnie suddenly feels corporeal somehow. Like she is being tugged in the gut and she closes her eyes. When she blinks, she's at the cemetery but it's night time, she blinks again and it's the Other Side.

She looks back at Kol. He nods and closes his eyes, concentrating back on the spell. He is chanting with a single-minded focus, knowing that the spell is working.

Damon shudders beside her and he asks her what's happening.

"It's working, Damon.", she assures him. She's tearing up as she smiles up at him.

Damon tightens his grip on her hand then he disappears.

Bonnie breathes out a startled gasp. She wasn't aware that she was holding her breath.

The ground shakes and Bonnie tries to stay upright but ends up falling on her knees. Kol chants faster, his eyes open and looking at Bonnie. He places his hands to his head as if it pains him but he keeps on chanting anyway.

He's looking at Bonnie all this time and that's how Bonnie sees his eyes widen and a look of horror drops on his face. She turns around and sees the darkness reaching out for her.

This is the end, she thinks.

She closes her eyes in resignation. She can't seem to hear anything besides the loud noise of the wind and the ground rumbling. And Kol's chanting.

She expects to feel a pull, maybe even pain.

What she doesn't expect is the feel of a body enclosing her own. Arms wrapped around her protectively as she hears his chest rumble with chanting the words.

She looks up and it's Kol. His eyes are staring back at her and challenging her to say something.

"Bonnie!"

And that's when she notices that the ground isn't rumbling and it's night time. And Kol is on top of her with his arms around her.

She pushes slightly at his chest and he moves a bit before bringing her up in a sitting position. His arms slowly let go of her as though afraid she'll pass out.

He's staring at her and she's about to ask what happened...

But then Elena is there and she's hugging her. And she's crying and sobbing into Bonnie's shoulder, telling her that she almost lost her. And that's when it all comes crashing down on Bonnie, how she almost died and she brings her arms around Elena and never wants to let go. She just wants to stay here with her friend and cry for a bit over their existence.

Eventually, they break apart and she looks around. Her friends are all here. Caroline is crying and Jeremy is walking towards Bonnie with a wobbly smile, Stefan is hugging Damon and seems as though he's not going to let go, Tyler is giving her a smile while talking with Alaric who's wiping his eyes. And Matt is talking to Kol.

Kol who isn't supposed to be here.

Kol who is supposed to be dead.

As though he knows that she's looking at him, Kol glances back at her then turns back to Matt and she tries to read his lips but can't. Though she does see that Matt turns solemn and nods.

Kol walks back to the inner circle of Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline. He clears his throat to get their attention. The whole group quiets down and that's when they finally see who it is that was with Bonnie when she came back.

They're about to pounce on him but stops them all with a statement.

"Well, it's been all fun and games to see you all but I have to go now."

Kol is smiling at them all, as though he has a secret.

It's like they're all in a trance somehow because not one of them stops him from walking away.

As he nears the edge of the forest, he turns back, looks at them all, tilts his head at Matt, then looks directly at Bonnie.

"I trust you won't let the Veil fall down anytime soon...", he pauses to let that sink in.

"But if it does end up in danger, I might have to come back and clean up your mess and I'm not overly fond of cleaning up after people."

He winks at her.

"Take care, little witch."


End file.
